Why I don't carry my M&P with a round in the chamber...

[Norman]

I cringe every time someone mentions the Israelis in these conversations. Should we take a horse stance while shooting? What about realistic gunfight distances? Fighting with one hand? Should we Hondo roll?

 

[RKM]

I cringe every time someone mentions the Israelis in these conversations. Should we take a horse stance while shooting? What about realistic gunfight distances? Fighting with one hand? Should we Hondo roll?

Why would you cringe? I think it's interesting to see how other countries train and use their weapons. The Isreali's have been under attack at one time or another ever since their country was founded, and whether you agree with their systems or not, you have to admit, not too many people mess with the Isrealis.

 

[KOPBET]

Not yet buying the Israeli angle. Is there really any evidence this is what most Israelis do to train? Or is this just marketing a single instance of a guy selling a $40 video?

 

[RKM]

Here's another one....around the 4.00 mark

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rzlECfu-n0

and another one from their counter terrorism unit showing the same procedure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NkbYnuX0Zw&feature=related

 

[aestus]

The Glock and M&P's have a firing pin block. Unless the trigger is pulled, the steel block will prevent the pin from striking the primer.

There's a Youtube video of a guy dragging a Glock with a round in the chamber on the ground tied to the back of his truck. Drives for a few miles through dirt, gravel, asphault, ect. Inspects the weapon and sure enough the round did not go off. Not only that, after a bit of cleanup, the gun still functioned like new.

I would trust a striker fired weapon with a round in the chamber over a DA/SA type gun. However, just about all firearms come with firing pin blocks now, so it really doesn't matter.

Also, with kids, it is my opinion that the need to be able to manipulate and fire the weapon with one hand is even higher. You may need to reach out to your kid with your off hand and pull him/her back behind you while drawing and firing with the other. Also, any defensive firearms class, especially force on force type classes, will show you just how critical it is to be able to draw and fire with just one hand while the other is used to strike, push or block an opponent. People who don't carry one in the chamber assume that they will always be able to see the threat 20 feet away. This is not always true and most likely, the threat will be in arms length of you by the time you realize what's happening and begin to react.

You're not going to be able to draw and manipulate a firearm, EDC knife, or any other object with both hands when your off-hand is busy fending off an attacker or holding the knife hand of an attacker, or holding back a loved one. I know this from personal experience being attacked with a knife while in the driver seat of my car a year ago and having to draw my EDC blade with my right hand, while my left hand was used to block and hold the attackers knife hand.

That single experience has changed the way I view how I carry and always carry one in the chamber now. I think back to that same event and if I had a firearm that wasn't chambered, the firearm would have been useless except for maybe as a blunt force object.

 

[peanut]

Have you looked at a H&K USPC? i can't remember what trigger version it is, but they have one that is DA/SA with a decocker/safety lever that can be moved to either side or both. They have a hammer and a safety and a FP block.

 

[Dr_Mitch]

More than one part would have to fail. There is a trigger blocking safety that prevents the trigger and trigger bar from moving backward. The trigger bar must move backward to disengage the firing pin block AND THEN release the sear from the striker. Some combination of failure AND activation of these parts would be required for the gun to fire.

 

[SammyIamToday]

I know very well that it would be strategically better to keep a round in the chamber... that's not the issue here. I'd like to be able to feel comfortable carrying my M&P chambered. I'm a stay-at-home-dad, so I am around my kids all day long... that's why I carry!

I wouldn't sweat potential safety issues with the handgun. If there were issues, you'd hear about it and someone would be suing S&W.

It sounds like you need ways to become more comfortable with condition 1 carry. Have you tried carrying around the house with snap-caps in the chamber? You could mark the back of one to make sure it doesn't get a strike from the firing pin. You could load a case with just a primer. Maybe just try carrying condition 1 for an hour or so at a time until you feel better about it.

I have a young daughter as well that I carry around condition 1. You have to be aware of what your kid is doing, but them banging on your side isn't going to set your handgun off. If your holster doesn't cover the trigger up fully, I would immediately get a holster that does though.

 

[skyydiver]

I feel like my kids are much safer banging around my holstered M&P .45 when it is loaded (in Oklahoma that means one in the chamber) than when it isn't. Just for the reasons outlined above. My pistol is no good to them if it's not quick into action. And keeping them safe is the whole reason I have it.

 

[WillR]

Not ideal but there are many ways to rack a pistol with one hand. Not a bad thing to practice in case of a malfunction etc.